Down deep, Patrick Mahomes is still a kid from Texas who roots for the local teams - most notably his Dallas Mavericks.
And so that's why, even as his plate is full in preparation for Super Bowl 59, he is as stunned as the rest of the DFW fan base by the shocking and confounded decision to trade Mavs franchise centerpiece Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Dallas received Anthony Davis (and just one future first-round pick) what is the most controversial blockbuster swap in NBA history.
And from fans of all the local teams, the Dallas Cowboys included, folks are taking the news hard - Mahomes included.
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback's initial reaction was disbelief, as he expressed on social media late Saturday night, saying the news made him "sick." Again, that put him in good company with the rest of us, including Cowboys star Micah Parsons, who tweeted, "WFT?''
But during Monday's Super Bowl Media Night, Mahomes expressed a willingness to try to make the best of it.
"As a Dallas fan, it hurts me," he said. "But I'm happy for him that he's going to be able to go out there, be in L.A., and try to achieve his dream of winning a championship."
In a remark that clashes with the awful things Mavs management is now leaking about Luka (from his weight to his attitude to rumors about his alcohol intake), Mahomes praised Doncic for his presence on and off the court.
"He did so much, not only for the basketball team but for the city of Dallas, so I'll always be appreciative of those years,'' Mahomes said. "But I'm excited for the Mavericks moving forward and the guys they brought in."
Not all Mavs fans agree with that accepting sentiment as they reflect on the departure of a generational superstar who made five All-NBA teams in his first six seasons.
Doncic is the best assist man in the game, is a consistent triple-double threat as he can rebound, and he has scored 28.9 points per game over his career, the league's third-highest average behind only Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.
And he's gone. ... with Mahomes trying to make the best of it.
